Paste or paste-like materials have many uses and are utilized in a variety of fields including construction, paint, art, medicine, and hygiene. Many times these pasty materials are provided in tubes having a small opening through which the paste is squeezed out. A user normally makes an estimate of how much paste is required for a particular job, squeezes out what may appear to be the required amount, and uses the dispensed paste. Many times, the user overestimates the amount of paste needed and dispenses more paste than needed, and because the paste cannot easily be put back inside the tube, the extra paste ends up as waste. When using certain types of pastes, such as artist's paint or toothpaste where only a relatively small amount of paste is required at a time, waste of material is a normal and accepted outcome.
While there has been a trend to provide more user-friendly paste dispensers, further improvements in waste reduction and control over the amount of the dispensed paste are desirable. As can be seen, there is a need for a more effective and efficient paste dispenser.